Education 

Reuse Store Saves Teachers Hundreds in Impoverished Communities

ATHENS, Ga. — Athens-Clarke County Recycling Division seeks to reduce the cost of school supplies for public school teachers through its Teacher Reuse Store, a facility that offers recycled school materials to local teachers for free. The store, now in its thirteenth year, is housed in the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials, and is now open three times a week. “In the first year, we collected over eight tons of material,” Stacee Farrell, executive director of Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful and leader of the team that managed the reuse…

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Business Education Health 

Athens Students Succumb to Social Anxiety Through Technology

ATHENS, Ga. — According to a short survey carried out by the authors of this article, students in Athens have fallen victim to the effects of social media, which have manifested through the emerging prevalence of technological dependency within the millennial generation. Out of 73 surveyed students at the University of Georgia, 90.41 percent of participants admitted to sleeping with their phone next to their bed. A staggering 76.71 percent felt that technology had taken hold of their lives. The above image depicts two pieces of data collected from 73…

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Community Education Government News Organizations Uncategorized 

Poverty and Immigration Policy May Hurt Hispanic Education in Athens

ATHENS, GEORGIA— According to national studies and local experts in Athens, outside factors in 2017 may contribute to the continued education gap that has afflicted Hispanic-American students, especially those born into immigrant families. The Pew Research Center reports that the national percentage of Latinx children born to immigrant parents now accounts for less than half of the U.S. born Latinx population. Although the number of U.S. born Latinx children born to immigrant parents is decreasing, another report shows that only 77 percent of Hispanic students graduate from high-school. According to Susan…

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Elementary School Boy Finds Leadership Through Athens Mentor Program

ATHENS, GEORGIA. – Quienteze, a first grader at Barrow Elementary School, polished his manners and respect after a year of involvement in the Clarke County Mentor Program (CCMP). Before Quienteze entered the program, he struggled with following directions according to Caryn Demarest, his physical education teacher. Greg Waddell, Quienteze’s mentor, said his mentee has really grown into a vibrant young boy. For the protection of the child, the program has chosen to omit the last name of Quienteze.  “I know that he looks forward to his mentor being there. We have…

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Education 

UGA Students Expand Their Worldviews

ATHENS, GEORGIA – Over 2,000 students profit each year by participating in the University of Georgia’s study abroad programs provided for them to study, research or intern in almost 60 countries. Students have the opportunity to expand their worldviews through experiential learning prior to graduation by participating in programs offered by UGA’s Office of International Education. Over 75% of students choose to participate in short-term programs, and most decide to travel to European countries. The graph above shows the number of UGA students participating in studying around the world. (Data from…

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Education Entertainment 

Women in Athens Music Push Back on Industry-level Inequality

  Women in Athens local music say they are not exempt from the sexism that permeates the music industry on a national level, however, the rich community built amongst these women involved in local music provides a unique and collaborative support system. “There are a lot of male musicians here, and a lot of them tend to be bands,” said Sarah Zuñiga, a self-described “indie-folk” artist who performs primarily as a solo act. At times, this plethora of male artists can work to her advantage, she said, as local venues…

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Education News 

Athens Transit Eyes Youth Prosperity with Transit Alternatives

Athens, Georgia- Athens Transit’s “Kids Ride Free” program has continued to thrive four months after its summer trial period—showing that economic benefits outweigh a loss in revenue. The program, created by the Athens Youth Development task force, started as opportunity for youth [ages 5-17] to travel around the city in the summer.  On August 2, the initiative was extended throughout Athens-Clarke County’s academic school year. Athens Transit Director Butch McDuffie said youth ridership is up 570 percent from August 2015 to August 2016. “We went from an increase of 50 youth riders per day…

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Education Entertainment Uncategorized 

Georgia’s Entertainment Industry Brings On-Set Opportunities for UGA

Athens, Georgia – The state’s thriving entertainment industry has increased the amount of on-set opportunities for University of Georgia [UGA] students and faculty, and grown an interest for those interested in the field to stay in Georgia post-graduation, according to UGA professors and undergraduates. The peach state’s production of television and film has earned third place worldwide behind Los Angeles and the United Kingdom, according to a 2015 study by FilmL.A. Inc., the official non-profit film office for L.A. George Contini, UGA Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre and Film…

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Education News Uncategorized 

Destination Dawgs: Opening Doors for Intellectually Disabled Students

The new inclusive post-secondary education program, Destination Dawgs, will give five students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to attend the University of Georgia (UGA) in spring 2017. The non-degree program will allow students with intellectual disabilities to attend UGA courses with the support of peer mentors and a Destination Dawgs transition teacher. Students who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion. “This program is really geared towards employment outcomes and good adult lives just like most students who come to college. We are looking into classes that teach…

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Education Sports 

UGA Olympic Swimmers Believe Balance is Key

Athens, Georgia – University of Georgia (UGA) Olympic gold medalists agreed that a structured swimming schedule and disciplined academic routine are imperative to success in both areas. UGA was represented by 28 current, former and soon-to-be athletes, associated with the University, to the 31st Olympic games held in August 2016, in Rio de Janeiro. Out of the 13 swimmers from UGA present at the games, nine brought home medals, four of which were gold. Jay Litherland, finalist in the 400 individual medley, and Gunnar Bentz, gold medalist in the 4×100…

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